In the last post, we took a look at 2009 in the rear view mirror. This is the perfect time of the year to look back on what worked and what didn’t, as well as to look ahead at the kind of year we want to have. Remember the Peter Drucker quote that says: “In order to get the life you want, you’ll have to create it.”
Instead of “hoping” to have a rewarding and productive 2010, let’s “plan” on it. So, take one last look in the mirror, then refocus on what lies ahead. If need be, pick a couple of things to carry forward in the months ahead and then close the book on 2009. Take some time now to focus on what you want to accomplish in the year ahead.
Start by Developing Perspective.
1. The key is to be VERY SPECIFIC.
Perspective describes what do you want to achieve in 2010 and why. Your vision is a clear written statement of what you want to achieve in the coming year. What do you intend to accomplish and why do you want to do it? Your vision can describe personal or professional intentions, but I don’t recommend mixing the two. The key is to be VERY SPECIFIC.
For instance, if you’re casting a vision for a business, you’ll need to answer the following questions: What kind of revenue do you want to generate? What specific product or services will you provide or develop? Who specifically will buy those products or services? What geographic area will you focus on? Notice the word “specific.” Vague visions only produce mediocre results. If you want 2010 to be a year of success and achievement, you’ll have to be both specific and intentional.
2. Clarify Your Mission
The second element of developing perspective is to clarify your mission. Your mission statement will be a philosophic explanation of why the fulfillment of your vision is so important. Here’s are examples of two mission statements that describe why the organizations do what they do: Disney’s mission is “To make people happy.” The mission for my company is “Helping individuals and organizations improve performance, productivity and profitability.”
Notice that mission doesn’t describe a product or service. It simply states the reason the particular organization exists. So, what’s your mission? Why do you want to…?
It’s important to start our plan for 2010 with developing perspective, because – until we know exactly what we want to achieve and why – we’ll only make minimal progress. Conversely, being clear on what we want to accomplish and then developing a process for getting there is the only way to make real progress and achieve real results.
In the next post, we’ll concentrate on defining performance by developing strategies, goals and actions, but now’s the time to focus on perspective. This week, concentrate on clarifying your vision and mission.
As I said last time, we have much more control of our lives and circumstances than we realize. Let’s take control of what we want to accomplish next year by working together to make 2010 the best year yet, by planning what we want to accomplish – then by working our plan.
Tags: 2010, accomplish, disney, goals, improvement, mission, plan, revenue, review, success, vision
